Recipe: Slow-cooked chicken with lemon and olives

THIS week I had a craving for some slow-cooked meat. I love cooking all varieties of meat this way. I use an enamelled cast-iron pot with a heavy lid and cook the recipe in the oven at a very low temperature; you could just as easily use a slow cooker, though. Try to use meat on the bone; it tastes sweet and juicy. Today's recipe is for slow-cooked chicken with lemon and olives.

INGREDIENTS:

1/4 cup olive oil

2 kg chicken pieces

2 onions, peeled and sliced

2 cloves garlic, crushed

2 lemons, quartered and seeds removed

1/2 bunch fresh coriander, including roots

2 tsp turmeric

2 tsp dried powdered ginger

salt and pepper, to taste

1 cup white wine

1/2 cup chicken stock

150g kalamata olives.

METHOD: Preheat oven to 130C. Heat the oil in a large heavy-based pot and brown chicken pieces. Reduce heat to low and add onions and garlic; cook for a further three minutes. Scrub roots of coriander well to remove grit. Add all ingredients except for olives to the pot. Cover with a tightly fitting lid and place in oven; cook at 130C for 90 minutes.

Remove coriander and discard. Add olives and cook a further 40 minutes until chicken is tender. Remove chicken to a heated plate, cover and keep warm. Put pot on the stovetop and bring sauce to the boil; cook for 10 minutes. Serve with steamed rice or couscous. Serves 6.